Journal box lid



A. N. LUKENS JOURNAL BOX LID Oct. 17, 1933.

Filed Nov. 8, 1929 INVENTOR //an Luke/15.

l l ATTOR EY Patented Oct. 17, 1933 JOURNAL BOX LID Alan N. Lukens, Elizabeth, N. J. Y Application November 8, 1929. Serial No. 405,622

7 Claims.

This invention relates to journal box lids of the established A. R. A. type, known as top-hung. An object of the invention is to provide a lid that will accurately seat itself when closed to the face of the box opening, and that will be suficiently rugged to resist the rough treatment incident to the prevailing methods of opening and closing the lid. A further object of the invention is tovprovide substantial means for housing or enclosing the box lug and the operating spring. The invention consists of novel yet simple means for producing a flexible joint between the lid proper and the parts pivotally attached to the box lug, together with means for controlling the total movement at the flexible joint within operating limits.

Journal boxes are usually made of malleable iron castings with the hole in the hinge lug cored to receive the hinge pintle, hence it often happensV that the face of the box opening is somewhat out of parallel with the hinge pintle, preventing the ordinary lids from closing properly. Also the distance between the plane of the box face and the center or" the hinge pintle, known in the art as the amount of oli-set, is subject to considerable variation, whereas the ofi -set of the lids, particularly when made by the'process of pressing sheet metal in suitable dies, is quite uniform. Hence it often is found that lids will close at 'the top edge only or at the lower edge only oi the box face.

The iiexible joint of the prevent invention permits suiiicient movement of the lid in any direction to cause a'complete and tight iitting at all edges of the box face, the amount of movement being so controlled that the lid is never displaced to such extent as to cause injury to itself or the box'should the closing operation be done with unnecessary violence.

Many attempts have been made as the art has developed vto produce a satisfactory flexible joint, all of which have proven defective in some essential ieature, and have not found a ready market. The novel arrangement and construction of parts of the p esent invention successfully overcome the defects of prior devices through suitable control. of the amount or flexibility in all directions, while permitting suicient independent movement to allow the lid to adjust itself to the box face, even should there be a considerable departure from accurate dimensions and shape.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth. In the accompanying drawing: Figure l is a front view, partly broken away, showing the invention; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view on the line II-II of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a iragmental side view; Fig. 4, a horizontal sectional view on the irregular line IV-IV of Fig. 1; and, Figs. 5 and 6, fragmental front and side views of a slightly modiiied form. v

The journal box, 1, is provided with an opening, 2, surrounded by the two side margins, 3, top margin, 4, and lower margin, 5. On the upper side of the box, 1, is a hinge lug, 6, having dat faces, 7, 7a, and the cam-like nose, 8, and the lug is provided with a hole, 9 to receive the hinge pintle, 10. The lid or cover plate, 1l, lits over the box opening, 2, resting thereon along margins, 3, 4 and 5, but in the preferred form has I no direct hinge connection with the pintle, 10.

A hood-like piece, 12, comprising a front wall, 12a, top wall, 12b, bottom wall, 12o, and side walls, 12d, having depending Vears, 13,` 13, is hingedly attached to the box, the ears, to accomplish this, being perforated to t the pintle, 10, the connection being such as to enclosethe hinge lug, 6. Near its uppermost point the hood-like piece is indented slightly to form a spring seat, 14, while upon its lower end. is formed a tongue or projection, 15, extending iirst away from the edge of the hood and `thence approximately parallel to the edgeof the hood. l

On the outer surface of the lid, 11, is rmly attached, as by rivets, 16a, the keeper or control piece, 16, having near its center a slot` 17, to receive the tongue, 15. The lid, 11, has formed in it a depression, 18, to receive the tongue, 15, which rests loosely underthe control piece, 16, and within the depression, 18. Adjacent to slot, 17, the control piece, 16, is provided with holes, 19, 19, to receive the toes, 20, 20, vof aspring. 2l, sufficient clearance being provided by depressions, 22, 22, formed in the lid, 11, to position the spring` The upper edge of the control piece, .16, is extended to form horns, 23, 23, disposed loosely along the arms, 24, 2li, of the spring, 21, with their tips bent over to partially encircle the spring arms. The spring, 21, is of the torsion type and carries a roller, 25, on its upper loop, which rests, when the lid is closed, against the ilat lug face, 7. Its coil portions, 26, rest in the seat, 14, formed in the hood, 12, and its arms hook into the holes, 19, 19, in the controlk piece, 16, with the heels, 20a, in pressure contact with the lid, 11, within the depressions, 22, 22.

The spring, 2l, is formed of such shape and strength that when in position, as just described, it will be under tension, with its pressure exerted vthrough the roller, 25, against the flat face, '7, 11"

on the hinge lug, 6, being counteracted by the pressure of the coil portions, 26, against the hood piece, 12, which in turn carries it down to the intle, 10. Thus the active pressure of the spring is exerted entirely at the heels, 20a, of the arms, 24, 24, against the lid at or near its center.

The clearances provided in slot, 17, and depression, 18, permit the lid to move on both its horizontal and its vertical axis to adjust itself to a perfect t and contact along all four margins of the box opening. Furthermore, the extent of free movement thus obtained, as well as a free rotary movement of the lid, is controlled and kept within safe limits by the appropriate positioning of the horns, 23, 23, formed on the control piece, 16, and the clearance between the outer surface of the lid and the under edges of the hood piece, 12.

In the act of opening the lid for inspection of the journal, etc., application of force to the lower edge of the cover at point, P, causes the cover to fulcrum on the upper edge of the box during a small amount of movement at the center of the cover against the pressure of the spring, which causes a gradual breaking of the joint between the lid and box beginning at the lower edge and progressing to the upper edge. After this, the horns on the control piece come into contact with the arms of the spring, arrest this movement, and throw the fulcrum point to the hinge pintle when the entire device swings around the pintle to open position, where it is held rmly by spring pressure, the spring having then travelled to rest on the fiat surface, 7a, of the hinge lug. The whole opening action takes place smoothly and without injury to the various parts.

While the lid is in open position accidental blows or jolts cannot cause the cover to rotate out of alignment to a detrimental extent. In closing the lid, downward force onvthe lower edge of the cover iirst produces a small movement of the cover about its horizontal axis until its upper edge strikes the side edges of the hood, whereupon the whole device rotates around the pintle to closed position.

On reaching the box face the cover is pressed against the several margins by the force of the spring, and being exibly attached to the hood piece, is free to move a little in any direction to iind a bearing against all four margins of the box face, even should they be somewhat out of true.

The hoodpiece covering the box lug, spring, etc., protects them from the weather and from snow, cinders, salt drip, or other damaging substances.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a slightly different form of construction. In this construction, the pintle, 10a, extends at either side beyond the hood, and the lid, 11a, is provided with perforated upwardly extending'projections, 11b, mounted upon the extensions of the pintle at either side of the hood, the perforations in the extensions being elongated, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, to permit the desired relative movement between the lid and hood, as has already been described. The sides of the lid, 11a, are conveniently extended at the top to provide the fingers, llc, which overlap the ends of the pintle, and serve to hold the pintle against displacement without the necessity of other fastenings. The fingers are made, or at least one of them, sorthat the same may be bent temporarily away from the end of the pintle, whereby the pintle may be either inserted in or removed from its connections. When the pintle is inserted in place, the iinger is then bent back to its holding position, as shown in Fig. 5.

The invention claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a journal box having a hinge pintle, said journal box being provided with an opening, a lid comprising a hood hinged to the pintle and having a projection on its lower edge inwardly spaced from and approximately parallel with the lower edge of the hood, a cover adapted to close said opening, a control member iirmly attached to the cover and slotted to receive said projection, and spring means for exerting pressure against the cover to adapt it to seat rmly on all margins of the box opening when in closed position.

2. In combination with a journal box having a hinge pintle, said journal box being provided with an opening, a lid comprising a hood hinged to the pintle and having a projection on its lower edge inwardly spaced from and approximately parallel with the lower edge of the hood, a cover adapted to close said opening, a control member firmly attached to the cover and slotted to receive said projection, said cover having a depression in its surface to receive and loosely coniine said projection, and spring means for exerting pressure against the cover to adapt it to seat firmly on all margins of the box opening when in closed position, said control member being pierced to receive the lower ends of the spring and provided with horns embracing the spring at a distance from the ends thereof.

3. In a lid of the top-hung type, for a journal box having an opening, the combination of a cover for the opening adapted for movement to open position, spring means having a member bearing on the cover between its upper and lower edges to permit limited initial opening movement oi' the cover about the said bearing part of said member, means carried by the ycover disposed on the far side of said member relative to the cover adapted to contact with said member to check said movement, whereupon the cover and spring means move together as a unit during a subsequent opening movement of the lid, and a hood adapted for pivotal connection at its' upper end to the box and connected at its lower end to the approximate center of the cover by a universal joint permitting limited relative movement in all directions, said cover being otherwise free from means for attachment to said box.

4. In a journal box structure',`the combination of a box having at one of its sides a hand hole I' opening; a cover for said opening; a hood; means pivoting the upper end of the hood to the box; means pivotally connecting theV cover to the lower end of the hood, comprising a socket in the cover having a front wall formed with a slot, and a tongue on the lower end of the hood projecting through said slot; resilient means for holding the cover in -closed and open positions, exerting a pressure on thebox, the hood, and the cover; and a member supported by the cover and interposed between the resilient means and the hood, adapted to permit a limited pivotal movement of the cover relatively Vto the hood.

5. In a journal box structure, the combination of a box having at one of its sides a hand hole opening; a cover for said opening; a hood; means pivoting the upper end of the hood to the box; means pivotally connecting the cover to the lower end of the hood, comprising a socket in the cover having a front wall formed with a slot, and a 'ilo tongue on the lower end of the hood, projecting through said slot and having a portion within the socket projecting downwardly from the slot and disposed substantially parallel with the front wall of the socket; resilient means for holding the cover in closed and open positions, exerting a pressure on the box, the hood, and the cover; and a member supported by the cover and interposed between the resilient means and the hood, adapted to permit a limited pivotal movement of the cover relatively to the hood.

6. In a journal box structure, the combination of a box having at one of its sides a hand hole opening; a cover for said opening; a hood; means pivoting the upper end of the hood to the box; means pivotally connecting the cover to the lower end of the hood, comprising a socket in the cover having a front wall formed with a slot, and a substantially L-shaped tongue on the lower end of the hood, one of the legs of the L-shaped tongue being disposed within the socket and the other leg thereof projecting through said slot; resilient means for holding the cover in closed and open positions, exerting a pressure on the box, the hood, and the cover; and a member supported by the cover and interposed between the resilient means and the hood, adapted to permit alimited pivotal movement of the cover relatively to the hood.

7. The combination of a journal box having an opening; and a lid of the top hung type for closing the opening, hingedly connected to the box adapting said lid for movement to open and closed positions, said lid comprising cover means, a spring stop connected to said cover means, connecting means hingedly connected with the box and connected to the cover means to permit relative movement between said cover means and connecting means in all directions independent of the movement of the lid about said hinge, and spring means adapted to engage said spring stop to limit said independent relative movement during opening of the lid to initial opening movement whereby said lid pivots about said hinge during subsequent opening movement, said cover means and connecting means comprising parts coacting to limit said independent relative movement during closing of the lid to initial closing movement whereby said lid pivots about said hinge during subsequent closing movement.

ALAN N. LUKENS. 

